Bonnier
1 / 100#100. Outdoor Life
Total paid circulation: 600,817
America's 100 most popular magazines
Since the 17th century, magazines have played a key role in the spread of information and selling of goods. Long before readers were introduced to marketing efforts like perfume sample pages and advertorials, there was a 1660s German circulatory called "Erbauliche Monaths Unterredungen." And before Vogue was even a twinkle in Conde Nast's eye, there was "Harper's Magazine," the oldest general interest monthly magazine in the United States.
In 2018, print has lost much of its influence to the digital landscape. There are still plenty of magazines in wide circulation, however, catering to a diverse readership. There's a publication out there for gamers, gourmets, important business people, and even Oprah-worshippers—you need only look to find features, human interest stories, recipes, hacks, and anything else that might grab your attention.
Each of those magazines, along with many more you may not have heard of, has a place on this list of America's 100 most popular magazines. To create this ranking, Stacker pulled data from Alliance for Audited Media's Snapshot Report. This data represents the average paid, verified circulation for a six-month period ending on June 30, 2018.
So put down your copy of Food & Wine or Car and Driver, and read on to find out which magazines the rest of the country loves flipping through.
RELATED: Most and least trusted news sources in America
Bloomberg Businessweek
2 / 100#99. Bloomberg Businessweek
Total paid circulation: 614,270
Kiplinger
3 / 100#98. Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Total paid circulation: 625,685
Ducks Unlimited
4 / 100#97. Ducks Unlimited
Total paid circulation: 631,810
American Legion
5 / 100#96. American Legion Auxiliary
Total paid circulation: 650,261
Meredith
6 / 100#95. Coastal Living
Total paid circulation: 656,684
Hearst
7 / 100#94. Runners World
Total paid circulation: 663,764
The Arthritis Foundation
8 / 100#93. Arthritis Today
Total paid circulation: 666,752
Trusted Media Brands
9 / 100#92. Reminisce
Total paid circulation: 674,430
Life Time Inc
10 / 100#91. Experience Life
Total paid circulation: 677,197
Forbes
11 / 100#90. Forbes
Total paid circulation: 682,882
Mariah Media
12 / 100#89. Outside
Total paid circulation: 694,933
Mansueto Ventures
13 / 100#88. Inc.
Total paid circulation: 713,860
Mansueto Ventures
14 / 100#87. Fast Company
Total paid circulation: 720,302
Meredith
15 / 100#86. Fortune (North America)
Total paid circulation: 752,202
Hearst
16 / 100#85. Harpers Bazaar
Total paid circulation: 755,921
Hearst
17 / 100#84. Esquire
Total paid circulation: 759,222
AMI
18 / 100#83. Star
Total paid circulation: 764,144
Boy Scouts of America
19 / 100#82. Scouting
Total paid circulation: 798,491
Bauer
20 / 100#81. Woman's World
Total paid circulation: 801,684
This Old House Ventures
21 / 100#80. This Old House
Total paid circulation: 810,778
Hearst
22 / 100#79. House Beautiful
Total paid circulation: 811,264
Condé Nast
23 / 100#78. Conde Nast Traveler
Total paid circulation: 819,001
Condé Nast
24 / 100#77. Architectural Digest
Total paid circulation: 819,396
Bonnier
25 / 100#76. Field And Stream
Total paid circulation: 819,419
Boy Scouts of America
26 / 100#75. Boys' Life
Total paid circulation: 846,554
Bauer
27 / 100#74. First For Women
Total paid circulation: 857,826
Condé Nast
28 / 100#73. Wired
Total paid circulation: 879,522
Meredith
29 / 100#72. Traditional Home
Total paid circulation: 886,774
National Rifle Association
30 / 100#71. American Hunter
Total paid circulation: 890,248
Bonnier
31 / 100#70. Popular Science
Total paid circulation: 899,437
Condé Nast
32 / 100#69. GQ (Gentlemen's Quarterly)
Total paid circulation: 929,394
Meredith
33 / 100#68. Food & Wine
Total paid circulation: 936,062
Meredith
34 / 100#67. Travel + Leisure
Total paid circulation: 955,383
Meredith
35 / 100#66. Midwest Living
Total paid circulation: 956,454
Meredith
36 / 100#65. Food & Family
Total paid circulation: 1,002,240
The Enthusiast Network
37 / 100#64. Motor Trend
Total paid circulation: 1,006,314
Hearst
38 / 100#63. Marie Claire
Total paid circulation: 1,007,363
Meredith
39 / 100#62. EatingWell
Total paid circulation: 1,013,459
VFW
40 / 100#61. VFW Magazine
Total paid circulation: 1,036,697
Essence Communications
41 / 100#60. Essence
Total paid circulation: 1,073,717
Trusted Media Brands
42 / 100#59. Birds And Blooms
Total paid circulation: 1,085,665
Hearst
43 / 100#58. Popular Mechanics
Total paid circulation: 1,112,844
Hearst
44 / 100#57. Elle
Total paid circulation: 1,117,673
Weight Watchers
45 / 100#56. Weight Watchers
Total paid circulation: 1,121,820
Condé Nast
46 / 100#55. Allure
Total paid circulation: 1,191,856
Hearst
47 / 100#54. Car and Driver
Total paid circulation: 1,212,174
Trusted Media Brands
48 / 100#53. The Family Handyman
Total paid circulation: 1,223,711
Condé Nast
49 / 100#52. Vogue
Total paid circulation: 1,231,650
Condé Nast
50 / 100#51. Vanity Fair
Total paid circulation: 1,236,446
AMI
51 / 100#50. Men's Journal
Total paid circulation: 1,237,599
Sunset Media Holdings LLC
52 / 100#49. Sunset
Total paid circulation: 1,268,196
Condé Nast
53 / 100#48. The New Yorker
Total paid circulation: 1,269,055
emka74 // Shutterstock
54 / 100#47. Rolling Stone
Total paid circulation: 1,272,976
Meredith
55 / 100#46. The Magnolia Journal
Total paid circulation: 1,282,352
NTVB Media
56 / 100#45. TV Guide Magazine (U.S.)
Total paid circulation: 1,283,701
Guideposts
57 / 100#44. Guideposts
Total paid circulation: 1,303,145
Hearst
58 / 100#43. HGTV Magazine
Total paid circulation: 1,328,334
Meredith
59 / 100#42. Health
Total paid circulation: 1,361,089
Hearst
60 / 100#41. Country Living
Total paid circulation: 1,378,889
EB Golf Media
61 / 100#40. Golf Magazine
Total paid circulation: 1,413,862
Meredith
62 / 100#39. Allrecipes
Total paid circulation: 1,417,529
Meredith
63 / 100#38. Entertainment Weekly
Total paid circulation: 1,511,269
Condé Nast
64 / 100#37. Bon Appetit
Total paid circulation: 1,513,658
Hearst
65 / 100#36. Women's Health
Total paid circulation: 1,543,222
Meredith
66 / 100#35. Money
Total paid circulation: 1,606,113
Condé Nast
67 / 100#34. Golf Digest
Total paid circulation: 1,642,049
Meredith
68 / 100#33. In Style
Total paid circulation: 1,708,509
Meredith
69 / 100#32. Rachael Ray Every Day
Total paid circulation: 1,718,511
Hearst
70 / 100#31. Food Network Magazine
Total paid circulation: 1,760,721
Meredith
71 / 100#30. Cooking Light
Total paid circulation: 1,780,148
Smithsonian Institute
72 / 100#29. Smithsonian
Total paid circulation: 1,808,770
Hearst
73 / 100#28. Men's Health
Total paid circulation: 1,825,164
The American Legion
74 / 100#27. The American Legion
Total paid circulation: 1,859,529
National Rifle Association
75 / 100#26. American Rifleman
Total paid circulation: 1,891,046
Hearst
76 / 100#25. Seventeen
Total paid circulation: 1,901,924
AMI
77 / 100#24. Us Weekly
Total paid circulation: 1,964,332
Meredith
78 / 100#23. Real Simple
Total paid circulation: 1,984,532
Meredith
79 / 100#22. Parents
Total paid circulation: 2,064,665
Meredith
80 / 100#21. Martha Stewart Living
Total paid circulation: 2,064,993
Trusted Media Brands
81 / 100#20. Taste Of Home
Total paid circulation: 2,080,735
Hearst
82 / 100#19. Redbook
Total paid circulation: 2,109,366
ESPN
83 / 100#18. ESPN magazine
Total paid circulation: 2,144,483
Condé Nast
84 / 100#17. Glamour
Total paid circulation: 2,303,374
Meredith
85 / 100#16. Time
Total paid circulation: 2,348,566
Hearst
86 / 100#15. The Oprah Magazine
Total paid circulation: 2,381,944
Meredith
87 / 100#14. Shape
Total paid circulation: 2,544,949
Trusted Media Brands
88 / 100#13. Readers Digest
Total paid circulation: 2,701,972
National Geographic Society
89 / 100#12. National Geographic
Total paid circulation: 2,720,313
Meredith
90 / 100#11. Sports Illustrated
Total paid circulation: 2,763,966
Meredith
91 / 100#10. Southern Living
Total paid circulation: 2,823,644
Hearst
92 / 100#9. Cosmopolitan
Total paid circulation: 3,040,285
Hearst
93 / 100#8. Woman's Day
Total paid circulation: 3,255,790
Meredith
94 / 100#7. People
Total paid circulation: 3,423,322
Meredith
95 / 100#6. Family Circle
Total paid circulation: 4,018,288
Hearst
96 / 100#5. Good Housekeeping
Total paid circulation: 4,311,679
Game Informer
97 / 100#4. Game Informer
Total paid circulation: 7,137,476
Meredith
98 / 100#3. Better Homes & Gardens
Total paid circulation: 7,645,902
AARP
99 / 100#2. AARP Bulletin
Total paid circulation: 23,475,727
AARP
100 / 100#1. AARP The Magazine
Total paid circulation: 24,099,602
